1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a compound in which a chain group having an oxirane ring is substituted on a 1,4-phenylene ring, a composition containing the compound, a polymer of the compound and applications thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A polymer in which a molecular configuration is fixed is obtained by aligning the molecules of a polymerizable compound having a liquid crystallinity in a fixed direction and photopolymerizing it. It is known that such polymer has an optical anisotropy (see, e.g., JP H8-3111 A/1996). The polymerizable compound having a liquid crystallinity includes, for example, acrylates shown below (see, e.g., JP H7-17910 A/1995 and JP H7-316032 A/1997).

The above acrylates have a high reactivity and provide polymers having a high transparency. However, the polymerization mode is radical polymerization reaction, and therefore it is required to carry out the reaction in nitrogen and increase the energy amount of a UV ray irradiated. Accordingly, required are a rise in a working property by curing in the air and an improvement in characteristics such as heat resistance, shrinkability, adhesiveness, firm adhesion and mechanical strength of the polymer.